Habitat modeling in a southeastern aluvial floodplain river

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:219931

Leonard, P ^[1]; Bell, C ^[2]; Boltz, J ^[1]

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1. EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., Hunt Valley, MD (United States)
2. Georgia Power Co., Atlanta, GA (United States)

The physical habitat modeling approach of the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) is frequently used to conduct impact assessments and determine instream flow needs downstream of hydroelectric facilities. In the process of relicensing the Sinclair Hydroelectric Project, Georgia Power Company conducted an IFIM study on a seventy-mile section of the Oconee River from Sinclair Dam downstream to Dublin, Georgia. The Oconee River in the study area is a low-gradient, meandering alluvial river with an extensive bottomland hardwood floodplain. Knowledge of such southeastern floodplain rivers suggests that in addition to the traditional IFIM concepts of instream habitat, inclusion of other important habitat components such as woody debris substrates, access to seasonally inundated floodplain habitat, and recruitment from oxbow lakes are potentially important determinants of fish species composition and productivity which should be considered in instream flow studies. This paper describes: (1) several new habitat modeling approaches that were used to address these important habitat components within the context of IFIM; and, (2) how they were used as the basis for evaluating changes in habitat resulting from various alternative operations of the Sinclair Project.

• OSTI ID: 219931
• Report Number(s): CONF-9507190--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
DIAGRAMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FISHES
FLOW MODELS
FLOW RATE
GEORGIA
HABITAT
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
RIVERS